Deflated Balloons at the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Are Killing Social Media

The 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was filled with special performances and iconic floats. Before the grand finale of Santa and Mrs. Claus making their way through the crowd, with Abbott Elementary star and Emmy-winner Sheryl Lee Ralph staring as Mrs. Claus, attendees were treated to some of their favorite stars to help get them in the holiday spirit. Performances included Brandy singing a rendition of "Somebody at Christmas," Bel-Air star Jabari Banks, and Cher. Airing on NBC, it was a record-breaking day in viewership history. 28.5 million viewers tuned in across airings on the network and its streaming service, Peacock. According to Variety, more than two-thirds of that audience (22.3 million) came from the live broadcast on NBC. The previous record was set during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 via a pre-taped telecast due to quarantine restrictions, with 25.9 million viewers. 

"We're absolutely thrilled that a record number of people were able to enjoy the parade with their families and friends, and spend the day with us," said Jen Neal, executive VP of live events and specials for NBCUniversal Media Group. "We take great pride in bringing the best holiday programming to our audience – across both NBC and Peacock – and there's no better way to bring in the season than with balloons, marching bands, musical performances and a tradition like no other. A big thank you to Macy's for being such great partners on this iconic event."

In between performances, audience members enjoyed iconic and new parade floats making their way through the route. Sadly, not all floats had much life, which was a trending topic on social media.